FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A military veteran named Daniel Penny, who was found not guilty of homicide after choking an agitated New York subway rider, has received an invitation from Vice President-elect JD Vance to join Donald Trump’s entourage at the upcoming Army-Navy football game on Saturday.
The Marine veteran had been acquitted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely in 2023. Last week, a more serious manslaughter charge against him was also dismissed.
Vance said Penny, 26, accepted his invitation.
Vance expressed his support for Penny, stating, “Daniel is a good man, and the district attorney in New York attempted to destroy his life simply because he stood up for himself. I appreciate his acceptance of my invitation and I hope he enjoys the game and realizes how much the public respects his bravery.”
Vance, who served in the Marine Corps, including in Iraq, said this week that “justice was done in this case” and Penny never should have been prosecuted.
Penny has been hailed a hero by many, but Neely’s death also divided the city as residents grapple with how to respond to mental health crises threatening public safety.
Passengers said Neely hadn’t touched anyone but had expressed willingness to die, go to jail or even to kill. The former street performer was homeless, had schizophrenia and had synthetic marijuana in his system. He had been convicted of assaulting people at subway stations.
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